


Happy Birthday, Nanako!

by goodfairyofny



Category: Persona 4
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-23
Updated: 2017-06-23
Packaged: 2018-11-18 03:44:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11283087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodfairyofny/pseuds/goodfairyofny
Summary: Happy Birthday, Nanako! Nanako Dojima's birthdays from age seven to sixteen. Appearances by the P4 cast. Will lead in to a future fic about Nanako. Cross Posted at FanFiction.net.





	1. Seven

The doorbell rang for the 5th time in the span of five minutes. Chie and Yukiko were the first to arrive, followed by Rise. Next came Yosuke. “Where’s Teddie?” Nanako asked, sounding disappointed. “He’s coming from work,” Yosuke replied. “He should be here pretty soon.” The fourth ring was Kanji and Naoto. They were dating now, so they arrived together. The fifth time the doorbell rang, Nanako ran to the door as fast as she could and yanked it open. “Teddie!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms around the bear’s neck. “Nana-chan!” he shouted happily in return.

Nanako was really happy that her cousin Souji, or Big Bro as she preferred to call him, had come home for the party. She had been really worried that he wouldn’t make it, and her dad didn’t say a word about it. They kept it a secret! So when Souji walked through the door the afternoon before, Nanako was completely surprised! They had dinner together as a family, and went for a walk at the Samegawa. Nanako picked the prettiest flowers by the riverbank. It was a really fun evening! 

Because it was Sunday and everyone had the day off from school, Nanako had a small party with her friends from class in the morning. Mai-chan, Emi-chan, Miwa-chan and even Takeyoshi-kun were there! They had cupcakes and played board games. It was really fun! But Nanako had been looking forward to the afternoon very much. She loved spending time with all of Big Bro’s friends. They had all saved her from that weird place that made her sick, and they visited her in the hospital until she was well again. And also, she really, really wanted to see Teddie! He was Big Bro’s friend, too, but he was different. Sometimes Teddie came over just to play with Nanako. He always paid lots of attention to her. She just _loved_ Teddie. 

“The party can start now that Prince Teddie is here!” the bear announced loudly. The others rolled their eyes, but Nanako just giggled. 

“Right!” she agreed. “And Birthday Princess Nanako is here, too!” She beamed at Teddie. Everyone was smiling and laughing. What a perfect day!

“Nanako,” Dojima asked, “will you see if those kids need any help in the kitchen?” Dad was always asking her things like this because she was so responsible. It made her feel very proud. She skipped into the kitchen happily and then stopped in her tracks. “Oops, sorry!” she called loudly as she quickly made her way back out to the living room. Souji raised an eyebrow at her.

“Do Naoto and Kanji need any help?” he asked.

“Oh, no, they weren’t cooking, they were just kissing!” she exclaimed loudly. She really liked that they were a couple now. They were really sweet together. And they both really liked things that Nanako liked, so it was always really fun when they came over.

“Kanji-chan! Are you scoring with Nao-chan in there!” Teddie yelled at the top of his lungs. Nanako saw dad cringe a little. 

“Shut up, bear!” Kanji yelled back. Naoto came out of the kitchen with a tray of sushi that they had been preparing and set it on the table. Rise gave her a huge smile.

“Shut up, Rise-san,” Naoto said.

“Hey!” exclaimed Rise. “I didn’t say anything!” She smiled even bigger.

The friends all gathered around the table to enjoy the meal together. They talked, and laughed, and some of them bickered, especially Yosuke and Chie. And Yosuke and Kanji. And Yosuke and Teddie. After they finished the sushi, Kanji and Big Bro disappeared into the kitchen and they brought out a _huge_ , pink birthday cake with seven candles on top! Nanako was so happy! It was the yummiest cake she had ever tasted. They also all brought her the nicest presents, like handmade stuffed animals, DVD’s of the Detective Loveline anime, and a gift card to Junes! 

The best present of all was from Teddie. He gave her a necklace with a little, gold star on it. “I thought it might remind you of me!” he exclaimed. Yosuke rolled his eyes. Nanako ignored it.

“Oh, thank you, _thank you_ Teddie! I’ll wear it always!” she said, hugging his neck again. 

The party wound down after that. Nanako was sad to see everyone go. She was excited that Big Bro could stay until morning, though. His school had Monday off, so he could spend the rest of the night with her and dad! They made coffee, and curled up on the couch together, Nanako in the middle. They watched a few episodes on her new Loveline DVD. Souji turned to Nanako and smiled. “Was it a good birthday?” he asked her.

“It was the best birthday ever!” she exclaimed happily.


	2. Eight

Nanako couldn’t contain her excitement for a minute longer. The train pulled up, and she grabbed Emiko-chan’s hand, squealing with delight as they ran on board. “Hold on, wait up,” Souji called after her. She looked at Emi-chan and they both giggled, coming to a stop. They waited a moment for the others to catch up. Nanako smiled at her cousin brightly once he was standing beside her. “Now?” she asked. He took the hand that wasn’t holding Emiko’s and smiled back. “Yes, Nanako, let’s go find a car with enough seats for everyone.”

The train to Okina City wasn’t very busy on Monday afternoons, so they were able to find a nearly empty car. Big Bro’s friends piled in after them. Nanako was so happy that everyone was able to come, and that dad had been ok with them taking her and a friend for a birthday outing. The older kids had graduated high school, so only Kanji, Naoto and Rise had school to worry about tomorrow, as well as Nanako and Emiko. Souji promised everyone that they would be home early. 

They arrived in Okina too early to head straight to the movie theater, so the girls (except for Naoto who objected quietly) suggested they stop in Croco Fur to look at clothes. The guys didn’t seem too excited about this part either, except for Teddie, whose arm Nanako now clung to. When they entered the store, a girl in brightly colored clothing turned around and smiled. “Happy birthday, Nanako-san!” she exclaimed. 

“Oh! Kanami!” she shouted, embracing the idol. “I can’t believe we ran into you here! How did you know that it’s my birthday?”

“Rise-san and your big bro told me,” she explained. “They asked if I would like to come help you celebrate!”

“Yay!” cheered Nanako. She had met Kanami when Big Bro and his friends danced at the Love Meets Bonds Festival with Rise. Something weird happened and Nanako had to help Kanami out by dancing with her at the festival. Then at the end, they all got on stage and danced together! Nanako just loved Kanami!

“We thought that you might like to see that new dance movie that’s playing,” Souji said. “So we rented out a theater.” Nanako and Emiko gasped.

“I’ve been wanting to see that so bad!” squealed Emiko.

“Yeah, and first you girls get to pick out a fancy outfit to wear to the theater!” added Rise. The two girls’ eyes got even wider with shock and delight.

“Come on girls!” shouted Kanami. “Let’s get ready to dance all night! O-Or.. all afternoon!” The girls cheered as they headed off to find something to wear to the movie.

“Ooh, Nanako-chan! You should try on this pink dress! It would look so pretty on you!” said Emi.

“Thanks! I think you should try the purple one, Emi-chan!” Nanako replied. Kanami helped the girls change. When they came back out, Teddie whistled loudly.

“My, my, you ladies are _beary_ gorgeous! Would you like to be my dates to the movie?” asked Teddie. The girls giggled.

“I would _love_ to be your date!” exclaimed Nanako. Souji rolled his eyes. Teddie held an arm out to each of the girls. They giggled some more.

The group all headed to the movie theater. Big Bro had been telling the truth, they had the whole theater to themselves! Everyone got up and danced in the aisles during the movie. It was so much fun! Nanako especially loved getting to dance with Teddie. He never stopped smiling when he was dancing with her.

After the movie, they went to a cafe and ordered birthday cupcakes. Nanako had fun watching all of her friends interact with each other. Kanami showed Emi-chan how to style her hair in pigtails. Yosuke and Chie pretended to fight over everything. Kanji and Naoto held hands under the table, which they thought no one would notice. Yukiko texted her boyfriend while shaking her head at Chie and Yosuke’s bickering, and Rise hugged Big Bro’s arm tightly. It seemed like everyone really loved each other. She glanced to her side where Teddie was smiling at her. She smiled back, touching the star she wore around her neck. 

After the train ride home, the group split up. Nanako and Big Bro walked Emi-chan home and then headed towards their own house. “Thank you, Big Bro, this was a great party,” Nanako said sleepily. 

“You’re welcome,” he replied. “Was it a good birthday?”

Nanako smiled. “Best ever,” she answered.


	3. Nine

Big Bro set the cake, teal and shaped like a castle, in the center of the table at the food court. Nanako’s smile was huge! It was the perfect cake! “Ooh, it’s so pretty!” she exclaimed. Souji smiled back at her. Dad was taking her to the movies with a few friends later, but this was the part she always looked forward to. She saw her own friends at school every day. But Big Bro coming to Inaba and getting to spend time with all of his friends at once was more rare these days. Even the younger kids in the group had graduated from high school, so it was getting harder to get everyone in the same place at the same time. Today, they had decided to meet after school at Junes, because both Yosuke and Teddie had to work. Luckily, Nanako _loved_ Junes.

Everyone sang “Happy Birthday” and cheered! “Happy Birthday, Nanako-chan!” Chie exclaimed. 

“Make a wish before you blow out the candles!” Rise chimed in. She touched Souji’s arm and smiled softly. Rise had recently moved back to Tokyo, so she and Big Bro lived near each other again.

“Huh,” Yosuke commented quietly. “That’s interesting.”

“Indeed,” agreed Yukiko.

Nanako had been trying to wait until Teddie could take a break for the cake, but they had finally had to start without him. Just as she was about to blow out the candles, she saw Teddie walking towards the table. Her eyes met his and he gave her a smile that could light up the whole world. She closed her eyes and blew out the candles while everyone clapped. Teddie sat down beside her, and she turned to him excitedly.

“My wish already came true!” she said happily.

“It did?!” Teddie asked. 

“Yes!” she exclaimed. 

“What was it? You can tell us now that it came true,” said Yosuke.

Nanako turned back to Teddie again. “I wished that you were here!” she said. “Now that you are, everything is perfect!” Teddie smiled again and hugged Nanako tightly.

“Don’t worry, Nana-chan! I would never miss your birthday!” he said.

The party continued. The cake was delicious, and Nanako opened her gifts. They were all very nice, but she was mostly just happy to be with everyone. Nanako caught Kanji giving Naoto a kiss on the cheek. “Oh, I heard that you two are going to get _married_!” she exclaimed. 

Naoto smiled softly. “That’s right,” she said, looking at Kanji and then back to Nanako.

“Can I see your ring?” Nanako asked. Naoto held her hand out towards her. “Ooh, it’s blue! That’s so pretty!”

“T-Thank you,” Naoto said shyly. 

“When you guys are married, will you still come over and play with me?” Nanako asked thoughtfully.

“Wha- Of course we will!” Kanji assured her.

Nanako smiled. “Oh, good. I can’t wait for you to get married, then!” The others all giggled. Nanako didn’t get why but she was glad everyone was so happy. She snuggled closer to Teddie who had his arm wrapped around her shoulders. 

Rise sat down next to Naoto and started pressing her for details. “So? Tell us more about when you guys got engaged. Was it super romantic? Oh my gosh we have to start shopping for your wedding dress!” 

Naoto narrowed her eyes at Rise. “Why don’t we talk about something else for now.”

“Ok, we could talk about the flowers first if you want - “ 

Naoto cut her off. “Why don’t you tell us about all the time you and senpai have been spending together in Tokyo,” she suggested.

“W-What?” Rise’s smile faltered before she snapped it back in place. “Oh! Well we have gotten to see each other some, when I’m not working.” She glanced at Souji who was trying not to look at her.

“Oh, please!” said Yosuke. “You two are totally dating, aren’t you?”

“What? Why would you think that?” Rise asked. Souji just shrugged. Everyone laughed again.

After a while, dad came to pick up Nanako so they could head to the movies with her friends. She hugged everyone goodbye, making sure to hug Teddie twice. Dad looked kind of unhappy, but he got grumpy a lot so she ignored it. Souji walked her over to dad, and he put his arm around her. “Did you have a nice birthday, Nanako?”

“Of course I did, Big Bro! It was the best party ever!”

Dad had already rounded up Maiko-chan and Miwa-chan. “Hey, guys!” Nanako greeted them. 

“Who is that boy you kept hugging?” asked Maiko.

“What? Oh, that’s my friend Teddie!” Nanako replied. Teddie was jumping up and down waving at her. 

“Bye, Nana-chan!” he shouted. Nanako giggled and waved back.

“He’s really _weird_ ,” said Miwa. Nanako frowned. Souji nodded, and crouched down in front of the girls, one hand on Nanako’s shoulder. 

“He’s different,” Souji said. “But he has a big heart. You get used to him after awhile,” he added. Nanako kissed his cheek.

“Thank you, Big Bro,” she said quietly.

“Are you girls ready to go see a movie?” Dojima asked.

“Yes!” the girls replied excitedly. They started walking away. Nanako turned back, and raised her hand in a slight wave, looking awfully sad for a birthday girl.


	4. Ten

“Emi-chan! Come and look at these flowers over here! They’re so pretty!” Nanako exclaimed. It was her 10th birthday today! She had decided to have a picnic by the Samegawa after school with Emiko-chan and Takeyoshi-kun. Lately the three of them had been spending a lot of time together. They were the best of friends! 

“Ooh, those are pretty, Nanako-chan! Don’t you think so Yoshi-kun?” 

Takeyoshi rolled his eyes at Emiko. “I _told_ you not to call me that. But yeah, they’re really nice ones.” He flashed her a bright smile. 

“Guys, let’s have our cupcakes now!” exclaimed Nanako. They had already enjoyed the rest of the food, and had taken a break to play by the river. They ran back to the picnic table, and Nanako passed out the cupcakes.

“Happy Birthday, Nanako-chan!” Emiko yelled.

“Best wishes, Nanako!” Takeyoshi added. Nanako smiled in delight. She was glad she had kept things small this year, with just her closest friends. 

After the cupcakes, Nanako’s friends had to go home and study. She walked with them until they reached the shopping district, then headed into a nearby quiet neighborhood. The houses here were small but really cute. She walked up to a quaint yellow house with twinkle lights on the porch. Nanako took a deep breath, and rang the bell. It opened only a moment later.

“Nanako-chan!” Naoto greeted her. “Please, come in.”

“Thank you,” Nanako answered. “Wow, Naoto, your house is so pretty!” Naoto and Kanji had gotten the house recently. Nanako had seen it from the outside, but this was her first time going in. “Oh!” she exclaimed. “It smells really good in here!”

“That would be Kanji, in the kitchen,” Naoto smiled. “I hope you didn’t get too full on your picnic.”

“No, I saved room, promise,” Nanako assured her.

“Everyone else should be here soon,” Naoto said. “But for now it looks like it is just you and I. Make yourself comfortable.” The girls sat together on the big, comfy couch.

“Naoto? Can I ask you something?”

“Of course you can, Nanako-chan. What is it I can help you with?”

“How come - well - how did? Umm… When you were in school and you liked Kanji, did anyone ever say bad stuff about him?”

‘Yes,” Naoto answered. “Once in awhile. He was rather misunderstood back in high school.”

“Well, umm… How did you deal with it? Like, did you tell the other kids to stop, or not be their friend anymore?”

Naoto considered her answer thoughtfully. “I was never really friends with anyone who would have said such things. Well, except for Yosuke on occasion,” Naoto added. “I did sometimes ask that they stop. Most of the time I just made sure that Kanji knew that I and our other friends cared for him, and that what others said didn’t matter. Does that help?”

“Yes,” Nanako answered. “Thank you,” she said softly. Naoto nodded. There was a crash and some swearing coming from the kitchen. Both girls laughed. And then the doorbell rang.

“Go ahead Nanako-chan, there are guests here to see you,” Naoto said. 

Nanako ran to the door, pulling it open with excitement. Everyone was here! They all arrived at the same time. Teddie was right in front, and when he saw her he shouted “Nana-chaaaaan!” and grabbed her in a huge hug. 

“Teddie!” she shouted back. “And Big Bro, and Rise, and everyone!”

“Happy birthday, Nanako!” they all said together. Everyone filed inside. 

“Where’s your wife, in the kitchen?” Naoki asked Naoto.

She punched him in the arm with a smile. “Where else would he be?” she said. Naoki laughed and went to look for Kanji. Yukiko smiled after him. They had been dating for awhile now.

“Are you and Naoki going to get engaged soon, too? Nanako asked Yukiko.

“What? Oh, no, I don’t think so, Nanako-chan. Not right now,” Yukiko said with a blush.

Nanako went to join Yosuke and Chie on the couch. “Hey, Nanako-chan,” Yosuke said. “How has your birthday been so far?”

“Really good!” she replied. “How are things at Junes?”

Yosuke tried to hide his smile. “Great as ever!” he said.

“You got a new job didn’t you, Chie? Working with Dad and Naoto?”

“I sure did!” Chie said happily. “I’m just answering the phone for now. But I’m training to be a police officer!”

“That’s so cool!” Nanako said. “Are you going to be a detective, too?” she asked. In her head, she was picturing Chie in a Detective Loveline outfit. She had often pictured Naoto this way as well. Nanako couldn’t hold back, giggling out loud a little.

Chie nodded. “That’s right. At least, I’m going to try my hardest.”

Souji came and sat beside her, putting his arm around her shoulders. “Sorry I didn’t make it by the house last night, Nanako. But I’m all yours after the party tonight.” 

“Oh, it’s ok, Big Bro. I’m excited that I get to spend time with just you and dad later!” Just then, Rise walked over and placed a very pretty crown on Nanako’s head.

“The princess of this party should look her part!” she said with a wink. Nanako’s smile widened to match Rise’s. She and Big Bro had finally admitted that they were dating. Nanako was glad. She really liked Rise, and now Big Bro wasn’t all alone in Tokyo. 

Just then, Kanji came out of the kitchen with the cake. It looked exactly like Loveline’s magnifying glass! And behind the cake was a knitted bunny wearing a Detective Loveline outfit. Nanako giggled and hugged his waist, which was all she could reach, because that boy was _super_ tall. But he made the _best_ stuffed animals and the yummiest cakes! “Thank you, Kanji!” she squealed. He smiled down at her and patted her head. 

Everyone had cake together. It was really nice! But there was someone she hadn’t really gotten a chance to talk to yet. “Umm, we’ll be right back!” she announced. Nanako grabbed Teddie’s hand and pulled him towards the stairs. They sat at the top together. “I didn’t get to talk to you at all yet, and you’re my favorite friend here!” she whispered loudly. Teddie smiled.

“Oh, Nana-chan! You’re my favorite friend, too! Did you have a _beary_ nice party?” he asked. Nanako giggled.

“Yes. I think that next year I still want a big party, but maybe you and I can do something, too. Just us! Would that be ok?”

“Of course it would! I would be honored to go on a special birthday date with you, Nana-chan! It will be _Bear_ rific!” 

“Thank you, Teddie,” Nanako sighed happily.

They rejoined the others to play a few games before it was time to go home. She began walking towards the house with Souji.

“So? Did you have a nice birthday, Nanako?” 

Nanako smiled. “It was the best, but I think that next year will be even better!”

“Is that so?” Souji asked. “Huh. Well I guess we had better start planning early.”

“Don’t worry, Big Bro! I already have!” Nanako smiled. “I’ll race you the rest of the way home!” She tore off down the street.

“H-Hey, wait up, Nanako! Man, you run _fast_!”


	5. Eleven

“I don’t understand why no one ever asks me about anything but the wedding,” Naoto complained softly. She was feeling extremely grumpy after yet another text from Rise.

 

_Omg when iz ur last dress fitting, can I come I want to cu in it! I bet kanji-kun will freak when he c’s u in it 2! (*_*) <3_

 

Kanji smiled down at Naoto. “She’s just excited. Girls, uhh, get excited about this stuff. Except for you, I guess.” 

Naoto frowned. “I am excited. I just don’t feel the need to jump up and down and squeal and discuss frilly undergarment choices with other females.” 

Kanji raised an eyebrow at her. “You could have that discussion with me later, if you like…” Naoto smacked him on the arm, and he burst into laughter. He put his arm around her, which was easier today because she had worn her tallest platform boots. Tall shoes made a huge difference in their relationship. As they stopped on the doorstep of the Dojima residence, she only had to raise slightly onto her toes in order to kiss him softly on the cheek. Being in a large group for a few hours was always difficult lately, as she wasn’t a fan of public displays of affection, but was a huge fan of kissing her soon-to-be husband as often as possible. “Ready?” he asked with a smile. Naoto let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, and knocked on the door. It sprung open immediately, and she was being dragged in by the wrist by an extremely anxious Nanako Dojima.

“Naoto, Naoto, come on, take your boots off quick!” she exclaimed. _“Hurry!”_ Naoto was bewildered, but did as she was told. Kanji slid out of his shoes behind her, following as Nanako continued to drag Naoto into the living room. 

“I have to show you guys something!” Nanako shouted excitedly. “You stand right here,” she said, positioning Naoto in the center of the living room, while all of their friends stared. “Ok, ready everyone?” Nanako asked. Everyone nodded, and Nanako stood with her back up against Naoto’s. All Naoto could see was Kanji who had a huge grin on his face. She was trying to block everyone else out, to be honest.

“Looks like about two inches to me,” Souji said. “That’s wonderful, Nanako.”

“Haha! Naoto’s so pint-sized that even Nanako-chan’s taller than her!” Yosuke said in a fit of laughter. Everyone else was laughing, too. Except for Naoto. And Kanji who knew better. She pulled away from Nanako and took solace under his arm. 

“It’s not funny,” she muttered. Everyone laughed again. 

“I grew really well, didn’t I Naoto?” Nanako said with a sweet, happy smile. It was impossible not to smile back at that girl.

“Yes, Nanako-chan, it’s clear that you’ve been eating your vegetables,” Naoto replied.

“Is that your excuse?” Yosuke laughed. “Didn’t eat your veggies when you were a kid?” Naoto glared at him.

“Oh, leave her alone!” Chie said, smacking Yosuke a little harder than necessary. Naoto gave her a nod of approval. 

“Oh Naoto, we still haven’t finished that discussion we were having the other day, about things that are borrowed and blue, and covered in lace!” Rise said with a smirk as she grabbed Naoto’s arm and started dragging her towards the kitchen. She shot Kanji a look that screamed for help. He just smiled at her. He felt a tug at his hand and looked down. 

“Do you think I can get as tall as you if I keep eating my veggies, Kanji?” Nanako asked.

He bent down and ruffled her hair. “You never know, Nanako-chan” he said, smiling at her. “Worth a shot!” That made Nanako really happy.

Everyone seemed to be in a really good mood today, which helped, because Nanako was feeling a little bit anxious about the plans she had for later. Last night, her best friend Emiko had stayed the night, and she whispered to her about her special birthday date, and how nervous she was about it. “But you really like him, right?” Emiko whispered back.

“Yes!” Nanako exclaimed in too loud of a whisper. “Oops,” she said, covering her mouth as both girls broke out in muffled giggles. 

“That’s how I feel about Takeyoshi-kun, too,” Emi said. “I like him so much I get butterflies when I think about him.”

“Butterflies?” Nanako asked.

“Yes, that funny flippy feeling in your tummy. Mama says it’s called butterflies.”

Nanako was sure now as she watched Teddie from across the room that she had a million butterflies flying in circles inside her tummy right now. Emi had said it was good, though, that it meant you really liked someone, and Teddie was her favorite of Big Bro’s friends. Sometimes she thought she liked him even more than her own friends. So butterflies just meant that, right? He caught her eye and flashed her a smile. Nanako’s stomach did another flip as she smiled back.

“Nanako-chan, are you excited about the wedding?” Yukiko asked. Nanako hadn’t even realized she had come up beside her. 

“Oh, yes! I just _love_ my flower girl dress! It’s _so_ pretty! Is your dress pretty, too, Yukiko?” 

“Oh yes,” Yukiko replied. “It’s quite lovely.” Nanako had been really _really_ happy when Kanji and Naoto had asked her to be in the wedding. They told her that she got to be the first girl to walk down the aisle, because she was so special to them. Just thinking about that made her smile. Yukiko, Chie and Rise got to walk out after her. Rise said they had to all walk out there first so that everyone would be ready to look only at Naoto in her wedding dress. Naoto looked kind of sick when Rise had said that. 

“Nanako, I’m home with the cake!” Dojima called from the doorway. Nanako ran to greet him.

“Welcome home, dad!” she answered. She was really excited to see the cake. Dad had gotten it at a real bakery this year. He said it would be really special.

“Close your eyes for a moment, Nanako,” he instructed her. She waited as patiently as she could while he took the cake out of the box and placed it on the table. When she opened her eyes, it was three tiers tall of lavender, heart-shaped cake! 

“Oh my goodness, it’s so pretty! Thank you, dad!” she exclaimed. Everyone gathered around to sing “Happy Birthday”, and Nanako made her wish, while looking straight across the table at Teddie. She blew out the candles and everyone cheered. 

When the party ended, everyone went home except for Big Bro, who was staying to spend time with dad, and Teddie who was taking Nanako on a “ _beary_ special birthday date!” 

“Are you ready to go, Nana-chan?” Teddie asked.

“Yes,” Nanako answered shyly. Those butterflies sure did like to fly a lot.

“No funny business, kid,” Dojima said to Teddie with a glare. His eyes widened innocently.

“Of course not, I would never let anything happen to Nana-chan!” said Teddie. “Plus, we’ll just be at Junes, and Yosuke will be working. Don’t worry, Pops!” Dojima sighed.

Souji walked Nanako and Teddie to the door. “If you need anything, use Teddie’s cell phone to call me, or find Yosuke at the food court. I’ll come straight there if you need me.” 

Nanako nodded. “Thank you, Big Bro!” Then she headed out with Teddie for their walk to Junes. Teddie chattered at her happily, and before long she felt most of the butterflies go away. Why had she been nervous about going somewhere with her favorite friend? Teddie took her to Junes. They walked around the store a little bit, then went to the food court. Teddie pulled out her chair for her like a real date.

“If you please, madam,” he said in a silly voice. Nanako giggled. “I’ll be right back in a second!” he shouted, and darted off to the counter to order some snacks. Yosuke waved to her from the other side of the food court, and Nanako waved back. Teddie returned quickly with the food. “Melon soda for the lady, cheese fries to share, and strawberry mochi for dessert!” he exclaimed. Nanako smiled. She thought it was really nice of Teddie to use the money he earned at Junes to pay for their “date food”, as he had called it. 

While they ate, he told her funny stories about his friends, including Big Bro, and asked her about her friends, and school, and all kinds of things. Teddie always asked her to talk about things she liked. That was part of what was so nice about him. He wanted to know all about Nanako and what she thought about things. And he never treated her like a little kid. When he walked her home, he said they should hold hands so they wouldn’t get lost in the dark. Nanako really liked that part. He hugged her tightly when they said goodbye at her door. “Bye, Nana-chan! Happy birthday!” he shouted as he headed back home. The neighbor lady poked her head out of her front door and glared at him as he passed by. Souji had opened the door while Nanako was saying goodbye to Teddie, and she beamed up at him.

“Did you have a nice birthday, Nanako?” he asked.

“Yes, Big Bro, it was the best ever!”

“Do you think next year will be even better?”

Nanako was thoughtful for a moment. “I think this one will be hard to top,” she said with a soft smile.


	6. Twelve

“Here, Nana-chan, you should put in the marshmallows first, then load it up with whipped cream on top!” exclaimed Teddie. “It’s the _beary_ best that way, because the marshmallows keep the whipped cream from melting as fast!”

Nanako smiled, dropping marshmallows into her cup of hot chocolate. Teddie sprayed a mountain of whipped cream over the top with a grin. They were sitting at a table outside of Cafe Chagall in Okina City. The coffee they served was way too strong for kids (and bears), dad had said. So hot chocolate it was.

“Are you excited about seeing your friends today, Nana-chan?” Nanako was thoughtful for a moment.

“Yes. Though I’m already having a really nice time with you, Teddie. Like we always do.” They had been having little “dates” periodically at the Junes food court since her last birthday, but today was extra special, so they had taken the train to Okina for a fancy hot chocolate party before she had to meet her friends at the movie theater. Dad and Big Bro were inside the cafe, having a coffee. Teddie smiled again, handing her a peppermint stick to stir her drink with. 

“What kind of movie are you seeing?” he asked. “Not a scary one I hope!” Teddie looked a little bit panicked. Nanako couldn’t hold back the laugh.

“No, it’s just another superhero movie,” she replied. “There wasn’t much playing, but everyone wanted to go see a movie.” This year she had decided to invite the whole group again. They deserved another chance, despite how uncomfortable they had made her feel on her ninth birthday. And she was still friends with everyone at school. She just hadn’t done the big party thing on her birthday in a while, because why ruin her birthday? 

“Which friends did you invite again?” Teddie asked. Teddie was always interested in all things Nanako.

“Oh, it’s Emi-chan and Takeyoshi-kun, and Miwa-chan and Mai-chan,” she replied.

“Miwa-chan? Hey! I know that girl!” Teddie said loudly.

“Y-You do?” Nanako asked. Did Teddie remember what she had said about him at her party that year? No, that was silly, he couldn’t have heard from so far away.

“Yes!” the bear shouted. “I see her all the time when I go to Daidara with sensei!”

“Ohhh, that’s right,” Nanako said with relief. “Daidara-san is Miwa-chan’s uncle. She lives above the shop with him.”

“Right!” said Teddie with a smile. Then he frowned.

“What is it?” Nanako asked.

“She calls me a _weirdo_!” he said in a very loud whisper.

“O-Oh,” Nanako said sadly. “I’m sorry, Teddie.”

“Oh, don’t be sorry, Nana-chan! Yosuke calls me much worse stuff every single day!” He waved it off like it didn’t bother him. “Sensei says I’m just easily misunderstood.” Nanako glanced in the cafe window, smiling when she caught her cousin’s eye. _Thank you, Big Bro_ , she thought. “You don’t think I’m a weirdo, right Nana-chan?” Teddie asked.

“Of course not, Teddie. I think you’re the best!” They smiled at each other, finishing up their hot chocolate quickly as they noticed Dojima and Souji coming out of the cafe. They walked down the street to the movie theater, with Nanako in between Big Bro and Teddie, both of their arms on her shoulders. All of her friends were already waiting in front of the theater. 

“I’ll go get the tickets,” Dojima said.

“Teddie!” exclaimed Emiko. Teddie gave a sparkly smile. 

“Hiya, Emi-chan! Oh, and Yoshi-kun, too!” Teddie really liked Nanako’s two closest friends from school. 

“I said _stop_ calling me that,” Takeyoshi said with a grin. “Are you coming to the movie, Ted?” Maika looked confused, and Miwa looked irritated. Nanako looked at her feet. Souji spoke up.

“Nope, Teddie is going back to Inaba with me,” he clarified. “We’re meeting friends for dinner.” Teddie beamed at Souji. 

“That’s right!” he exclaimed. “We’re meeting with Rise-chan and Yuki-chan and Yosuke and Chie-chan and Kanji-chan and Nao-chan!” he said, all on one breath. 

“Oh, that sounds like fun!” Emiko said. 

Dojima returned with the tickets. “Here we are, one for each of you,” he said. "Nanako, I’ll be nearby, just call me from the theater when the movie ends and we can all go back to the train together.”

“Ok, dad! Thank you!” she said happily. Dad was trying to let her be more independent. Nanako liked that. She headed towards the theater with her friends, turning back with a wave and a smile. 

“Aww, I miss her already!” Teddie whined when she was out of sight. Souji shook his head. 

“Do you think she had a nice birthday this year?” he asked Teddie.

“Of course!” Teddie replied. “It was the most _Bearrific_ birthday ever!”

“Right,” Souji sighed. “Come on, Ted, everyone’s waiting for us at Aiya.”

“Oh, yay! I _love_ Chinese food! Do you think Yosuke is paying?”

Souji laughed. “I guess we’ll find out.”


	7. Thirteen

Nanako stood on the sidewalk just outside the train station in Okina City, facing all of her friends. It was her birthday, and a surprise party had been organized. She looked at her cousin, eyebrows raised.

“Well? What is it? What are we doing?” she asked. Teddie, standing in the front of the group, couldn’t hold back any longer. 

“We’re going to the roller rink!” he shouted at the top of his lungs. 

“Dude, cut it out, people are staring,” Yosuke said in a loud whisper.

“Trust me,” Chie reassured him with a smug look. “They aren’t staring at _you_ , Yosuke.” There were way too many snickers amongst the group for Yosuke’s liking. He glared at Chie, but held his tongue.

“Uh, anyway,” Souji said, trying to get everyone’s attention. “We should head to the rink and get some skates.” Nanako smiled. This year, dad had let her go to Okina without him. Mostly because Big Bro and all his friends were going, too, but still. It was a party without chaperones! Sort of. She glanced at Kanji and Naoto, who had been married for almost two years now. And Chie who was a real police officer now! And Yukiko and Naoki who had always seemed more like grown ups than kids to begin with. And Big Bro… Ok, so there were chaperones. Nanako shrugged it off. It was still a big deal. Emiko and Takeyoshi each took one of her arms, and they ran off towards the roller rink, laughing happily. Miwa and Maika walked just behind them, and everyone seemed excited about going skating!

Nanako and her friends went skating from time to time, and they were all pretty good at it. The older kids were pretty funny to watch. Naoto took forever to lace up her skates. When Kanji finally pulled her to her feet she looked completely panicked. “T-This is like the ski trip all over again.” she said.

Kanji just smiled at her and held his hand out. “Don’t worry. I won’t leave your side,” he said. He seemed pretty steady for such a big guy, so he must have skated before, but his height held him back from being really good at it. Yosuke and Chie passed by them at the edge of the rink, holding their own. 

“What, you guys never skated as kids?! Come on!” Yosuke yelled at he skated by. 

“Oh, leave them alone!” Chie yelled. “Hey, I bet you can’t do _this_!” she said as they disappeared into the center of the rink. 

Yukiko and Naoki skated by gracefully. “Wow!” Nanako said. “Those two look like they’ve been skating all of their lives!” 

“You know, Teddie, you skate really well for someone who - well - for someone new to - umm - Yeah, you skate really well, Ted, “ Souji said. 

“Thank you, sensei!” he replied. “You skate like a professional!” Nanako giggled.

Kanji had finally gotten Naoto all the way onto the floor of the rink, when Rise, completely off balance, grabbed his other arm, almost knocking them all to the ground. “Help!” she shouted.

“You don’t know how to skate, either?” Kanji asked. “Aren’t you, like, an idol and all that?”

“Idols don’t skate, Kanji-kun!” she shouted in return. 

“S-Stop,” Naoto said, sounding sick. “If you keep arguing, I’m going to l-lose my balance.” Nanako figured it was only a matter of time before both girls dragged Kanji to the ground. _Poor Kanji_ , she thought. 

Nanako went out to the middle with her friends from school. Emiko had talked Takeyoshi into holding her hand while skating together. They weren’t officially dating or anything, but they liked each other a lot. Nanako joined Miwa and Maika and they all skated together happily. After a while, Teddie skated over to them. 

“Nana-chan! It’s time for cake!” he exclaimed. The kids all headed out of the rink and over to the tables reserved for birthday parties.

The cake was white with hot pink and black stars on it, and a big 13 in the middle written in sparkly, black icing. “Ooh!” she gushed. It was just right. She was too old now for baby pink and castles. She started eating her slice of cake when a boy that looked slightly familiar called out to Kanji.

“Hey, mister!” the boy said. 

Kanji cringed and turned towards the boy. “Geeze, Miusagi, aren’t you ever going to stop calling me that?” Miusagi just grinned. 

“Hello, Miu-kun,” Naoto greeted him cheerfully. She was really polite, but for some reason he looked kind of afraid of her as he gave a shy wave. He turned back to Kanji, obviously more comfortable with him.

“What are you guys doing here? I didn’t know old people skated,” he said with a wink. Kanji just sighed.

“We’re here for Nanako-chan’s birthday,” he replied, gesturing towards Nanako who waved in acknowledgment.

“Oh!” Misusagi said. “Well, have a good time, mister! And, umm, bye Tatsumi-san.” The second part was for Naoto, who nodded in return. 

“How do you guys know that kid, and why is he so afraid of Naoto?” Rise asked.

“Did him a favor awhile back. Now he comes in the store and hangs out a lot,” Kanji said. He glanced at Naoto. “Uhh, I don’t know about the second part.” Naoto just shrugged. 

“That’s the kid you made a stuffed bunny for back in high school, isn’t it? I remember him,” Souji added. Kanji blushed.

“Y-Yeah. T-That’s right” he stammered.

“Ooh!” said Nanako. “I _love_ all the stuffed animals you’ve made for me!” She beamed at him, and he smiled back.

After the cake, Teddie asked Nanako to skate with him. “Come on, Nana-chan! Let’s show everyone who the _beary_ best skaters are!” As everyone giggled, he took her hand and dragged her into the middle of the rink. She thought he would let go of her hand when they got there, but he didn’t. “Are you having a fun party, Nana-chan?” he asked.

“Yes!” she answered. “It’s been great!”

After another hour of skating, everyone headed back to the train together. Teddie grabbed Nanako’s hand. “I have Nana-chan’s hand, sensei, so don’t you worry!” he exclaimed loudly. All of the grown up kids laughed. 

“She’s thirteen now, it’s not like I was going to make her hold my hand on the walk to the train station,” Souji said sulkily.

“Don’t worry, you can hold my hand, Souji!” Rise said, beaming up at him. Everyone laughed again. 

Nanako sat with Teddie and her friends from school on the train. She was happy to see that they all seemed fine with it this year. Maybe she didn’t have to choose sides after all. She sure liked it better when she had _all_ of her friends around her. She caught Souji’s eye and mouthed “best birthday ever.” Souji winked at her, and she smiled the rest of the way home.


	8. Fourteen

“It’s not fair that Yoshi-kun has to go home when the party is really just getting started,” Emiko whined. Naoto patted her on the shoulder.

“Sleepovers with boys would be _weird_ , Emi-chan. And dad would freak out,” Nanako explained. 

“But - we won’t _all_ be together at midnight when it’s your birthday,” Emi added to her argument.

“You just want him to stay so you can smooch him in the dark,” Maika accused.

“W-What?! No I don’t!” Emi exclaimed.

“I bet Nanako-chan wishes the weirdo would stay for smooching purposes, too,” Miwa said with a smirk.

Nanako’s eyes went wide. “Teddie is _not_ a weirdo, Miwa-chan. And I wouldn’t do that,” she added with a blush. Miwa stuck her tongue out at Nanako in response. “I’m going to go walk them out,” Nanako said. “Do you want to come, Emi-chan?”

“Of course!” Emiko answered.

The boys were in the kitchen talking to Nanako’s cousin, Souji. “Do you think if we asked your dad _really_ nicely - “ Emiko began in a whisper.

“No!” Nanako whispered back. “No, that would be bad. He’d say no and then be grumpy all night and that’s never fun. We’ll have more fun if we just leave it alone.” Emiko shrugged and they walked into the kitchen.

“Hello, lovely ladies!” Teddie lit up when they came in the room. Nanako smiled and hugged his arm. 

“We were just heading out,” Takeyoshi said with a grin. “Don’t cause too much trouble tonight,” he added.

“Don’t worry,” Souji said, grabbing Teddie’s arm. “I was just about to walk trouble out.” Everyone laughed, including Teddie.

“Wait, sensei, I don’t get it,” Teddie said with a frown.

“I’m sure you don’t,” Souji replied. The girls said goodnight, and Souji walked the boys out on the porch. Emiko sighed.

“I guess we should get back to girl time,” she said. 

Nanako laughed. “Come on, Emi-chan, it will be fun!”

They went back to Nanako’s room where the other girls were waiting. They had already set up the sleeping bags. “What do you guys want to do first?” Nanako asked. “Watch a movie, or paint our nails?” It took awhile to agree, but they settled on nails. Most of the girls picked really girly colors. Nanako decided on black to be different. 

“That’s so strange, Nanako-chan. Maybe it makes sense that you like the weirdo so much,” Miwa said. Nanako shrugged it off. The girls relocated to the living room to watch movies after that. The first one was kind of sappy. The other girls seemed really into it, but Nanako wasn’t impressed. When it ended, she put in one of Chie’s kung fu movies that was lying around from Souji’s last movie night. It wasn’t much of an improvement, but it was good enough. They were going to talk over most of it anyway. 

At midnight, they ate cupcakes together. This was the part Nanako had been looking forward to. Having her friends say Happy Birthday exactly when her birthday started. Her brand new cell phone (dad had _finally_ said yes!) buzzed twice right at midnight. One from Takeyoshi, and one from Teddie.

 

_Happy Birthday, Nanako! See you guys later today!_

_Beary happy exact birthday, Nana-chan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <3 Luv, Prince Teddie.  
_

Nanako couldn’t help but smile. It was like they had gotten to stay after all. The girls stayed up and chatted for awhile longer before going to bed. Nanako laid there awake for a long time, thinking about what a great birthday it had been. She finally fell asleep with a smile still on her face.


	9. Fifteen

“I don’t understand why you don’t want me to come, Nana-chan,” Teddie said sadly. They were standing outside Aiya, in the side yard where the prying eyes of the shopping district couldn’t quite see them. Nanako took Teddie’s hand in hers.

“It’s not that I don’t want you to,” she said softly. “It’s that I think it’s best that you don’t.” Teddie frowned.

“I don’t get the difference,” he said.

“People will talk,” Nanako insisted. “People already talk. So I think you should hang out with Yosuke and Souji tonight instead, okay Teddie?”

Teddie was making eye contact with his feet. “A-Alright, Nana-chan, if you say so.” He tried to give her a smile, which fell right back off of his face.

“Please don’t be sad, Teddie,” she said. “It really isn’t that big of a deal.”

“But it’s your birthday! We always celebrate your birthday. Together.”

“I know. But I’m 15 years old, now. Things are just… a little bit different.”

“Alright,” he said, still looking unsure. “But we can hang out together tomorrow?” he asked.

“Of course,” Nanako replied. “I’ll be at the food court at noon, like always.” Nanako spent almost every Sunday afternoon at the Junes food court. Teddie would be working, and they would have lunch together during his break. 

“Hooray!” Teddie exclaimed. “Oh! Oops!” he slapped his hands over his mouth. “I forgot we were trying to be quiet,” he said in a loud whisper. Nanako stifled a laugh. 

“It’s fine. We’re done, anyway. I need to get going.”

“O-Okay,” he said, sounding sad again. 

“I’ll see you later, Teddie,” she said, releasing his hand and starting to walk into the street.

“Bye, Nana-chan!” Teddie shouted. She turned back and waved before heading off down the street.

Nanako knew that she was probably doing the right thing, even if it felt pretty awful. She was a first year in high school this year. Even if some of her friends had met Teddie and didn’t think her relationship with him was strange, others would make a big deal out of it. This year, for the first time, she was spending her birthday in Okina City with only her friends from school. She had a little time before she had to head to the train station, so she stopped in Shiroku. It was 5 pm. Exactly when it began switching from a daytime store to a nighttime pub. Which meant that Souji would be showing up there for work at any moment. She waved hello to Shiroku-san and began perusing the snacks while she waited. It was only a couple of minutes until she heard the door open and looked up to see her cousin enter.

Souji smiled when he saw her. “Hey, Nanako. I thought you had big birthday plans for tonight.”

“I do, but I had a little time, and I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Souji nodded. “Come in back with me. I need to start getting set up for the night but we can talk while I do that.” Souji had recently moved back to Inaba. He was a graduate student at the University of Okina, so he took the train there every day. At night, he was a bartender at the Shiroku Pub. Nanako followed him into the back. “So what did you want to talk about?” he asked while trying to tie on his apron.

Nanako sighed. “I don’t even know where to start. I want to talk about Teddie.” 

Souji nodded. “Alright,” he said cautiously.

“What - When, I mean... “ It was hard to even know what to ask. She took a deep breath. “Why doesn’t Teddie age?”

Souji raised an eyebrow at her. “Caught on to that finally, did you?” Nanako nodded. “It took most of us years to notice. Though I suppose you’ve had the same amount of years.”

“So why then? What… what is he?” she asked.

“Let’s just say that Teddie is… not from this world. Or something like that,” Souji answered.

Nanako just stared at him for a moment. “What does that even mean, Souji?”

Souji stared back at her for a moment. She had finally stopped calling him ”Big Bro” this year, and it was still weird. “It - It’s hard to explain,” he tried. 

Nanako rolled her eyes. “So what does that make him, an alien or something?”

Souji frowned. “No, well, not really. At least, I don’t think.” 

“So what _does_ it make him?” she asked.

Souji thought for a minute, then lit up. “Teddie. It makes him Teddie.” 

_“Souji_ …” she said, rolling her eyes again.

He completely ignored her, lost in thought. “I think it’s possible that he might age someday. I always got the feeling that he was waiting for something. That there was a reason he didn’t move forward with the rest of us.”

Nanako frowned. Her stomach felt kind of funny. She knew that there were things Souji still wasn’t telling her. Lots of them. 

“Is he… Did you invite him to your birthday party this year?” Souji asked.

Nanako felt hot and red and guilty all of a sudden. She looked at the floor. “No,” she said. “I thought it would be better for him if I didn’t. And if I’m being honest, better for me, too.”

Souji nodded and put his hand on her shoulder. “Sometimes hiding who you are makes life easier, especially at your age. It doesn’t always, though. You should ask Kanji how that worked out for him, sometime,” he added. 

“Do you think Teddie will be upset with me?” she asked softly.

“Did you tell him you don’t want to be his friend anymore?” he asked.

“No,” Nanako said.

“And are you going to see him tomorrow like you always do on Sunday?” 

Nanako peeked up at him. He wasn’t supposed to know about that. It figured. “Yes,” she answered. 

“Then I’m sure he won’t be upset with you,” he replied.

Nanako left Shiroku feeling confused and kind of mopey. She sort of wished she didn’t have plans for tonight, because she really didn’t feel much like following through with them, now. She walked to the train station slowly, lost in thought.

At seven, she met her group of friends in front of the movie theater. At least she could say there were really no chaperones this year! They watched a movie, then walked down to the cafe for a bite to eat. Chagall-san came by their table. “Dojima-chan, right?” he asked.

“Yes, Chagall-san,” Nanako replied.

“Another year and I think you’ll be ready for the coffee,” he said with a wink. Nanako smiled. Souji had been drinking the coffee there since his second year of high school. He said it was so strong that he used to black out for a few hours when he drank it. _Weird_ , she thought. 

On the train ride home, she got a text from Souji.

 

_How was it? Did you have a nice birthday?_

_Not bad. But I’ve had better._

 

Souji was about the only person she was willing to admit that to. She decided to send one more text on the way home.

 

_Looking forward to lunch tomorrow. Should I bring anything special?_

_Meeee too! Just bring yourself, Nana-chan, you’re all the special this bear needs! We’ll have a beary special birthday lunch, my treat! <3 Luv, Prince Teddie._

 

Nanako smiled. It was a pretty good birthday after all. There was no reason not to extend the celebration for just one more day, right?


	10. Sixteen

Nanako took a deep breath and walked into the textile shop. Kanji was deep in conversation with a boy around her age when she opened the door. He immediately lit up into a huge grin when he saw her. “Hey, Nanako-chan!”

“Hi!” she said. “I was hoping we could talk. It’s ok if you’re busy, though.”

“Oh, I was leaving anyway,” said the boy. Nanako felt like she’d seen him before. _Oh, he’s the boy from the skating rink!_ She thought. “See you tomorrow, mister!”

Kanji frowned. “See you, Miusagi.”

Nanako looked at him curiously. “I thought you hate it when he calls you that.”

“I do, but there’s not really any point in telling him for the 50 millionth time, is there?” Nanako giggled. “So what did you want to talk about? Hey, wait, isn’t today your birthday?!”

“It is. I wanted to ask you about something Souji told me a while ago. He said that sometimes hiding who you are doesn’t work out so well, and that I should ask you how it was for you.”

Kanji sighed. “Yeah. It didn’t, I mean, it turned out ok eventually, but it took a long time to get where I wanted to be. You probably remember that I used to look a lot different when you were little, right?”

Nanako nodded. “Yes. Your hair was bleached and you wore a lot of skulls and stuff.”

“Right. I got a tattoo and a bunch of piercings and all that other stuff to hide who I was. I was afraid of how people would look at me if they knew what I was really like, and especially if they knew about the things that I loved.” Naoto had come in the door in time to hear the last part, and was smiling at him. He looked at her before he continued. “Turns out the only way I was going to find the right people to be with was by showing them who I really was, and letting them get to know the real me.”

“Did you really beat up biker gangs like Dad said you did?” Nanako asked curiously. 

Naoto laughed. “He sure did. He was infamous at the police station.”

Nanako smiled. “Thanks, Kanji. I think I know what I need to do now.”

“Anytime, Nanako-chan,” he replied.

“I’ll see you guys later, you’re coming by, right?”

“We wouldn’t miss it, Nanako-chan,” Naoto said with a smile.

Nanako’s next stop was the Junes food court. She found Yosuke working the snack bar. “Hi, Yosuke. Have you seen Teddie?” she asked.

“Oh, hey, Nanako-chan! He’s just inside. Been entertaining the kids all morning.”

“Ok, thanks!” she said. She headed inside the doors to find Teddie in his bear suit saying goodbye to a group of children. He turned around and jumped when he saw her.

“Ah! Oh, Nana-chan! You scared me!”

Nanako smiled. “Sorry. Do you have a minute to talk?”

“Sure, just let me go change out of my fur! Just one second!” Teddie ran off and returned almost too quickly in his normal, non-bear clothes. “Ok! Teddie is all yours!”

Nanako blushed. “Umm, I wanted to talk to you about my birthday party. You were planning to come tonight when all of Souji’s friends are stopping by, right?”

“Of course, I wouldn’t miss it!” Teddie replied.

“Well,” she said, “I was thinking that I’d actually like you to come earlier, when my friends are over. Because you’re my friend, too. And it just wouldn’t be the same without you. So please come at two, ok Teddie?”

“Nana-chan! I would be honored to come early!” he exclaimed, grabbing her in a hug. They said goodbye, and she headed home to get ready for the party. This year she was having a party at home. Despite it being her 16th birthday, she wanted to be at home, with Dad and Souji and all of her friends. Around 5, her friends would go home, and the older kids would come for dinner. She wanted to spend time with everyone she loved today.

Most of her friends arrived early. Emiko and Maika were there first. The girls helped Nanako gather the snacks in the kitchen. “How come Takeyoshi-kun didn’t walk over with you, Emi-chan?” Nanako asked.

Emiko shrugged. “I don’t know. I didn’t ask. I guess I figure if he really liked me, he’d have asked me out by now.”

Maika glared at her. “I think it’s pretty obvious that he likes you,” she said.

“Well, I’ve decided to not focus on it for now,” Emiko said, fussing over her freshly bleached blonde pigtails. The doorbell rang again. It was Miwa, followed shortly by Takeyoshi. Nanako greeted them, and brought the snacks out to the table. Soon after, the doorbell rang one more time. 

“Did you invite someone else, Nanako-chan? I thought we were all here already,” asked Miwa. Nanako shrugged and went to answer the door, her friends all following to see who it was. She opened the door to Teddie who had a huge smile on his face and was holding an enormous bouquet of flowers.

“Happy birthday, Nana-chan!” he shouted. Nanako couldn’t help it, she started to laugh. 

“Hey, Ted!” Takeyoshi said.

“Teddie! It’s so nice to see you!” Emiko greeted him. Maika smiled. Miwa rolled her eyes. And Nanako grabbed his arm and pulled him inside.

“Dad, everyone’s here!” she called out. “We’re going to pull out the games, now!”

Dojima came down the stairs. “Oh, hey kids, thanks for coming, make yourselves at home,” he said. His eyes settled on Teddie and he frowned. “Are you ready for the cake, or do you want to wait awhile?”

Nanako looked at her friends. “Cake!” they all exclaimed together. They all started laughing. 

“Do you need any help, Dad?” Nanako asked.

“Sure, Nanako, you can help me get the plates,” he said. When they were alone in the kitchen he noticed the flowers she had left on the counter. “Who are the flowers from?” he asked curiously.

“Oh, Teddie brought them,” she said, trying to sound casual. On the inside she was about to burst with excitement over it. No one had ever brought her flowers before. 

“Hmm,” Dojima said. “I’ll ask Souji to put them in water when he comes down.” Nanako was glad he left it at that. She figured a lecture was coming soon, she just didn’t know when or exactly what he would say about it. “Grab those plates, and I’ll bring the cake right out,” he said.

“Ok!” Nanako headed back into the living room. Souji came down the stairs and patted her on the head. “Dad’s in the kitchen getting the cake,” she told him. He smiled and headed that way. A few minutes later, Souji carried out a vase with Nanako’s flowers and set them down on the table. She smiled up at him, then glanced at Teddie and gave him a smile, too. Dojima carried out the cake. It was exactly as she had requested. A pastel pink castle, three stories high. 

Miwa raised an eyebrow at Nanako. “What’s with the cake?” she asked.

Nanako shrugged. “Once a princess, always a princess?” The others giggled and they excitedly dug into the cake. Then they played board games and watched anime like when they were younger. It was a really fun party. Nanako’s friends went home after that, and Souji’s friends started to file in. Dad had gotten sushi for dinner, Nanako’s favorite!

“Wow, Nanako-chan, I can’t believe you’re 16 already. That’s how old we were when we all met,” Chie said. 

“That’s right!” Yukiko agreed. “At least, the two of us, and Yosuke and Souji were.”

“Yeah,” Yosuke chimed in. “The rest of them were little first year twerps!” Rise stuck her tongue out at him. 

“You wouldn’t know they were younger than us by looking at them now, though,” Souji said quietly, gesturing towards Kanji and Naoto. They seemed to be in their own private world at the moment, not hearing the conversation.

“That’s true,” Rise said. “They’ve been acting like grown ups longer than the rest of us have.”

“I’ve been 15 this whole time, you guys! But I think I’m finally 16, too!” said Teddie. Everyone turned and stared at him. They were all silent. Yosuke finally broke it.

“ _What?!_ What are you talking about?”

“I’ve been the same size for all these years, but this year I’m a little bit taller!” Teddie exclaimed.

“Huh,” said Souji. “You do look taller.”

“But how is that even possible?” Chie asked.

“Didn’t the little guy, umm… grow his own body?” Kanji asked.

“Shh! Be quiet, Kanji!” Rise glared at him. “Dojima-san might hear you!”

“Right. Because I’m sure Dojima-san, captain of the Inaba Police Force, has never noticed that Ted has looked exactly the same for the past decade,” he said, glaring back at her.

“I’m proud of you, Teddie,” Naoto said. “For growing up. Although I admit I’m a bit jealous. I wish I could get taller,” she said with a slight blush. 

“Maybe you can, Nao-chan! All Teddie did was wish for it really hard!”

“ _What?!_ " Yosuke said again.

“I decided that I wanted to be 16 like Nana-chan… so I wouldn’t get left behind. So I wished really hard for it, and before I knew it I was a little bit taller!”

Everyone stared again. This time, it was Souji who broke the silence. “Well, I guess it was about time,” he said, giving Nanako a wink. She nodded to him, then walked to Teddie’s side. She slipped under his arm.

“I think it’s great,” she said quietly. Teddie beamed down at her, throwing sparkles in her direction. Everyone laughed. 

After dinner, Nanako and Souji walked everyone out. After they finished waving goodbye to everyone, and once Yosuke finally dragged Teddie off because he wouldn’t stop waving, Souji looked down at Nanako.

“So, Nanako? Was it a good birthday?” he asked.

Nanako was thoughtful for a moment. “It was truly the best birthday ever,” she said with a smile.


End file.
